7/19 The most interesting state motto!

New Hampshire is a hiking state with mountains everywhere. I don’t think there’s a road that’s not scenic. There’s over 100 waterfalls and covered bridges, the most in the country. History begins in the 1700’s, where farmers bought land and passed it down for centuries. New Hampshire is the blueberry state, and is famous for its ice cream. I couldn’t have picked a better place to spend a long, hot summer! Yum Yum!

Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire, surrounded by the Ossipee mountains near the southeast corner of the state. You can get to Portland, Maine or Boston, MA in a couple of hours, so it’s conveniently located. There are over 200 islands in the lake and some contain summer houses and boats. This is an elite part of New Hampshire where people stay for the summer in homes on or near the water. There are a dozen towns scattered around the lake that offer typical summer activities and attractions, and boats are everywhere! The water is spring fed and the temperature remains a steady 72′ or so and is so clear. The White mountains is north of here and not too far away. I can’t wait to check it out!

The mosquitoes were in abundance in June, though I still get ambushed when I go out after dinner in spite of their smaller population in July. Sadly, I haven’t gone to the beach much because of these critters. This is also bear country and we have a resident on the property. I haven’t seen her yet, but she is around. She like to hang out by the dumpster early in the morning and has been seen in the woods. Fortunately, she is very shy and easily chased away as long as there’s no food nearby. There were some turkeys wandering around earlier this summer, but they are gone now. 😦 There are also moose that can be seen around dusk and dawn and I plan to go out to look for them. I plan to do a lot of things, and hope I can accomplish some of them.

I’m not going to disclose my exact location for security reasons, but it’s really beautiful and I have my own tiny cabin complete with a bathroom, shower, fridge and microwave. I’m spoiled already! The inn, where I work in the kitchen, has a stunning view of the lake from the dining room. Normally, the weather is temperate, but there has been a heat wave and we’re all kind of miserable because there’s no air conditioning on the property. I take a lot of rides in the van to cool off. It’s not too bad at night but takes a while to cool down. The fan in my room helps a lot. (I now have an air conditioner!)

I’ll leave off with writing about the places I’ve been to and share the gorgeous views of this state. Happy summer!